Draft-bar for sleighs



(No Model.)

J. P. THOMPSON.

DRAFT BAR EUR SLEIGHS. N0. 270.4514. Patented Jan. 9, 1883.

DNTTEO STATES PATENT EEIOE.

JAMES I?. THOMPSON, OF MILWAUKEE, VISUONSIN.

IDRAFT-13M: FOR sLElGHs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,514, dated January 9, 1883. Application tiled October 4, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES P; THOMPSON, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Bars for Sleighs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference heilig had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specication.

The object of my invention is to construct a draft-bar for sleighs in such manner as to permit the shafts to be shifted to one side of the center ofthe sleigh or returned to the center readily; and it consists in certain improvements on the draft-bar patented by me June 20, 1876, Patent No. 178,888, whereby the adjustment ofthe draft is more conveniently effected.

-ln 'theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the forward part of a sleigh with my improved draft-bar attached thereto. Fig. 2 is the draft-bar detached therefrom, and Fig. 3 is a section of the draftbar lengthwise through its center.

A is the body oi a sleigh. B B are the shafts, provided with the usual cross-bar, c, to which the whifdetree is to be attached. M M are brace-irons, to which the draft-bar is fastened behind the runner. D is thedrat't-bar, formed ot'an iron tube, and provided with slots at its ends. A rod, O, is fitted to slide within it, and to its opposite ends the eyes F G are attached, to which the eyes at the ends of the shafts are attached. The eye G is pivoted on a pin, H, in the end of rod O, and the eye F travels in a slot, K, in the tubular bar D. The lower side of the rod O is provided with a series of notches or rack, I, and a spring-catch, L, is attached to the tubular bar D, so as to engage with the rack l), and retain the rod O in any desired position at or between its eX- treme limits of adjustment. The catch is pro vided with a thumb-piece, S, by which it may be retracted.

In well-beaten roads the har is used with the shafts in the position shown in Fig". 1, with the shaftsoutside the runners. it is desired to shift them the bolt is removed from the ey-e F, the'shaft is lifted into the potion shown by the dotted lines and swung to the other side of the runner, therod slidingontward by releasing the spring-catch L, and the shaft is again attached by means of the bolt to the eye F. This movement ofthe shafts is permitted by the pivoting of eye G on the pin H. By similar means the shafts can be returned to their former position.

The improvement over my former device When consists in the employment of the spring' clutch L and notches, instead of a set-screw and the pivoted or hinged eye G, in order to permit. the shafts to be swung around the runner.

I claim- 1. The combination of the rod O, provided with the pivoted eye G, and the tubular bar D, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. i

2. The combination of tubular bar D, pro-A vided with slot K, sliding, rod O, catch-spring L, and rack P, substantially as and t'or the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of tubular bar D, slid- 'ing rod O, provided with ear F and pivoted ear Gr, and catch-spring L, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own lI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. i

JAMES P. THOMPSONv Witnesses:

E. H. BOTTUM, HARRY W. THOMPSON. 

